


Adeline, Troublemaker

by rosesofred



Category: Original Work
Genre: Discipline, F/M, Non-Consensual Spanking, Over the Knee, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 21:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5718445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesofred/pseuds/rosesofred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adeline is a 20 year old girl from a town on the north west coast who's not very good with social anythings. Jack, someone who has known her for a very long time, may end up being just the person she needs to save her from herself. Contains non sexual spanking of a socially awkward young adult.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

    I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, walking quickly to the run down white truck I called my baby. I hadn't felt this pent up since... well I don't know, in forever. I twitched my nose at the wet feeling of a rain droplet splashing down onto me. Looking to the grey sky I saw a storm coming, clouds forming almost as quickly as I was walking. I fumbled around in my bag for my keys, my vision blurry as tears began pooling that I refused to let drop. I wouldn't cry about this, I'm so much stronger than that. I found my key and opened the door, practically throwing myself into the truck and slamming the door shut. It was only a matter of moments before Kris noticed I'd left and I honestly just couldn't deal with him right now. Having him see me cry like this, it would just- I choked on a few tears, a lump forming in my throat that I couldn't clear.

    I turned my radio on, much louder then I ever have it, hoping to drown out my own thoughts. Cecil Baldwin's soothing voice filled my car and I began backing up, hoping to get out of here as quickly as humanly possible. The steepled white church and blindingly colorful flowers made me sick. The last time I had been forced to come here was for my sister and it wasn't any better this time. I tore out of the parking lot, ripping down the gravel road and practically catching air as I soared down the hill. I didn't bother checking my mirrors, knowing Kris was probably standing in front of the church watching my manic driving.

    But I honestly just didn't care right now; I kept driving, through the countryside and through the town, through the back roads and to the only place I knew nobody would ever come looking for me.

    Down below the docks I sat with my knees tucked in under my chin, crying rather pathetically as my breath hitched in my throat, trying to keep myself under control but failing miserably. A rather large sea lion lifted its head and gave a halfhearted yell at me, his way of telling me to pop off and go somewhere else. I gave a small smile, knowing he wouldn't do anything to me, as I'd been very close to all the sea lions here since I was small. He was just a grumpy old man, no match for me, pathetically sobbing 20 year old girl. I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my sweatshirt, accidentally rubbing sand on my face in the process. But sand was an expected part of living on the coast, an unfortunate fact we all had to face here.

    Two more sea lions swam up to the shore, plopping down next to me under the cool shade of the docks and giving me no more then a glance here and there. Before long they were all napping in the cool crisp air of late January, the sun surprisingly hot for the time of year. But by 6 in the evening the sun was gone and it began to rain again, clouds painting the sky in a gloomy grey I was all to familiar with. I slowly crawled over to one of the smaller sea lions and leaned up against it for warmth, hoping it wouldn't be upset by the contact. But I had been coming down to the docks to sit with the sea lions since I was a small child and they had grown to accept me, or at least tolerate my presence.

    After too long of trying to fall asleep and fighting back tears I finally got up and stretched, tired of the cold and wet outside, needing some kind of real warmth. My fingers were numb as I stretched them, squeezing them into fists and stretching them out, climbing up the rocky slope back to the actual docks. What I hadn't anticipated was the rain making the rocks so slippery and I had a very difficult time trying to climb up to the top. My hands wouldn't quite grip and I lost my footing, my feet flying out from under me as I scrambled to grab at anything at all. Before I knew what was happening I had bashed my head into the edge of a slippery rock and tumbled down, landing painfully in the wet sand below.

    I felt a sticky wetness on my forehead and I couldn't breath, like the wind had been knocked right out of me. I struggled for a time trying to breath, painfully sucking in shallow breaths as I held a shaky hand covered in red in front of my face. A fuzzy blackness began closing in around me but before I completely blacked out I faintly saw the face of someone familiar. Someone good, and safe.

    I finally felt warm, even a bit too warm to be honest. A comfortable warmth covered my body and I tugged at what I assumed to be a blanket, pulling it in around my face to cover my cold ears. I had never felt so comfortable before. I could hear a fire crackling, and the smell of pine and pumpkin filled the air, a pleasing and relaxing scent I gladly welcomed. Something warm and wet touched my forehead and I flinched as a stinging spread across the skin. I opened my eyes to see a hand; a large hand, definitely belonging to a man, holding a damp towel to my head. It moved away to reveal the face I had been eager to see, the face belonging to the person I had seen just before blacking out. Jack.

    Jack was not only way above me in rank, but was my boss' boss. He was the manager of the whole store I worked for. He was tall and twice my size, muscular and much stronger then me. Ever since I met him all I could think was that he looked like Darvell from Bizantium, that weird movie about vampires. He had the same eyes and facial structure for sure. My mind began to scramble as I was set into a panic, sitting up and throwing the blankets off of me. He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder, looking me directly in the eyes with that intense stare of his. "Lie down." He only needed to say that, nothing more, and I was already back down on my side obediently. For some god awful reason I had always found him to be so intimidating, despite the fact that he was kind and usually very lenient, reasonable even when it came to being a manager. He was understanding when you were late, always said good morning, even checked in from time to time to see how everyone was doing in their department, just to make sure everyone had had their breaks and were doing alright.

    But for some unknown reason I had always found him... Scary? That wasn't the right word but it's the only one I can manage to find to describe quite how I feel. Whenever he tells me to do something I obey, mindlessly, and stupidly. I hate being told what to do, and usually I am very rebellious, but with him... I roll over and show my stomach like a dog. Like a stupid, mindless animal. A shiver ran down my spine suddenly and he noticed, grabbing the blankets and practically tucking me in. "Stay here."

    He stood up and walked away, leaving me there to lie down as he had instructed. I didn't know where I was or even what time it was and I began to feel very panicky. Maybe he was a psycho killer and I was locked away somewhere. But when I looked around it looked like a rather expensive, comfortable living room with a beautiful old fireplace in the wall in front of the couch I was on. Nothing psycho killer esque. But you never know, so I sat up and threw the blankets off of me, using my arms to push myself off the couch and realized too late that I should have taken that slower as I was immediately dizzy and disoriented. A pain shot through my left ankle and I fell, but not before two strong arms caught me, gripping me tight and pulling me back up.

    "What did I just tell you?" Jack was unhappy and I looked up at him, a scowl across his handsome features. He moved me back over to the couch, sitting me down where I was before. "You had a bad fall, I don't want you moving around at all."

    I finally found my voice and asked in a quiet voice, "Where am I?"

    His features softened at this. "Don't panic, ok? It was raining so I took you back to my place." He must have seen my reaction of shock because he immediately tried to give a better explanation. "No, what I meant was you were injured and wet and I didn't want to leave you there alone so I took you back here because I knew you'd be warm and safe here. I can take you home if you'd like."

    I looked up at him with wide eyes. "No."

    He looked a bit shocked at this but said nothing about it. "You know being under the docks is illegal." I didn't answer him, instead lowering my eyes like I usually did when he talked to me. It was a completely instinctual response, nothing I meant to do.

    It was then that I noticed I was wearing a large t shirt and a pair of leggings. "What?" I had meant to ask where my clothes were, what happened to result in me not wearing my clothes but the answer was too terrifying, I couldn't ask. Had he seen me..... NAKED?? I went to stand up again, pushing his hands away as I tried to hobble away, but my ankle hurt so bad, I could feel it was badly swollen and my head hurt even worse. But I pushed him away, in result pushing me backwards, as it had no effect on him. He was much taller then me and had a lot of strength behind him too. "I want-" _I want to go home_. But home wasn't so great right now. Home reminded me of loss. Home was painful. I want him back.

    "What is it? What do you want?" Jack was talking to me, but I just stared at him, unsure. Unsure of what I wanted, of what I needed. No. I know what I need. I don't know what I want. I began to walk away again, limping as I tried not to put pressure on my left ankle. "Addie, I don't want you moving around right now." He tried to move in front of me and I tried to push him again, but again to no avail as I simply tipped over. He grabbed my arm, yanking me up and before I knew it, over his shoulder like a lamb. "I said I don't want you moving right now." I was in complete shock as I lay over his shoulder, his arm wrapped around my waist to keep me secure.

    "Please, Jack, put me down!" I pleaded when I found my voice. I had never even had a real conversation with the man, let alone touched him. Come to think of it, I'd never so much as shaken his hand. The most contact I've ever made with him was downcast eyes as he said hello. He didn't give an answer and my blood was pumping, head spinning, mind racing. I smacked his back with my palm lightly to get his attention but there was nothing. I hit again, and then with both hands, and finally I kicked my feet, moving my legs and trying to squirm out of his grasp, my feet making contact with his abdomen.

    "Stop that!" The sound of a crisp sharp smack rang through the air and I stilled, completely baffled at what had just happened. Jack had just... smacked me. On the arse. "You're badly injured right now and I don't want you moving about. I want you to stay the night here and I will take you home in the morning, ok? It's very late." He began to walk and the view below me shifted, floors changing as we moved about the house. He was taking me somewhere but I was still too shocked to voice my questions. He opened a door and moved inside, closing the door after himself. He lifted me up and lowered me down onto a bed, being very careful of both my head and ankle.

    I wanted to ask him why, why I couldn't just leave, why he cared, but I was scared and stunned and didn't want to anger him. He pulled the blankets down on the bed and told me to get in, so I crawled over them, getting into the bed. He gave a smile at that and it was very strange to see him smiling so much. It was normally very rare to see him give an actual genuine smile at work, even if he was really nice. But now, it was so different seeing him outside of work.

    "Listen, Addie. I didn't mean to hit you. Nothing happened though. Your clothes were soaked and sandy so I pulled them off and put you in one of my old t shirts. My sister left her leggings here once and never came back for them so I put them on you so you wouldn't feel so exposed. I never saw anything and I didn't touch you inappropriately, ok?" His confession was sudden and I responded with a shake of my head, telling him I understood. I did have some amount of trust with him, he had always seemed like a good person and he'd never done anything to make me think otherwise. "Please stay here tonight. I want to make sure your injuries aren't bad. I'll check up on you through the night and make sure you have everything you need. Please, just stay here tonight and you can go back tomorrow."

    With that he pulled the blankets up over me and turned to leave the room. He said goodnight before shutting the door behind him, leaving me in the dark room by myself. The moon was bright and shone through the window, giving me some form of light so I could look around the room. It was quaint, with white furniture here and there, a dresser across the bed, comfy chair to the right of the dresser, closet to the left of the dresser, a large window in the middle of the room. The bed had a soft cloud like comforter that engulfed me magically and made me instantly feel tired. But I had more things on my mind then sleep.

    First thing was first, I needed to figure out where my phone was. It wasn't on me, I didn't have any pockets in these clothes. He had left my bra and panties on, for that I was grateful. Maybe he had been telling the truth, and had only changed my outer clothes. I hoped so. I waited until I heard him come down the hall again about half an hour later, and he knocked softly on the door, turning the knob shortly after. I threw myself down and turned to face the window, pretending to be asleep. Whether he knew I was asleep or not he didn't say anything, only walking in to set down a glass of water and stand there for a few moments while I presumed he watched me for a bit. He then left and closed the door behind him once more.

    When I saw the light go off under the door I threw the blankets off and sat up, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. I lifted myself up and limped across the room, putting my ear against the door to listen for any noises. It was completely silent so I slowly opened the door, peaking my head out to see if he was still out there. I didn't see him anywhere so I came out and began walking down the hallway to his living room. The fire was out but it still smelled like pine and pumpkin. I moved over to the couch I had been on and searched it, reaching my hands in between the cushions and eventually searching under it. I couldn't find it anywhere so I searched the living room, coming up empty. I moved quietly to his dining room, a beautiful little sun room type dining area with a rather ancient table and chair set. I didn't find it anywhere so I moved to the kitchen, searching the drawers and counters, moving onto the cupboards next. I couldn't reach everything because stupid tall people have to keep everything up so high, so I climbed onto the counter to search the upper cabinets and above the fridge, desperate to find my phone.

    When I felt around above the fridge something grasped onto my hand, sharp pins digging into it, startling me so hard I yelped, jumping backwards off the counter, landing hard on my backside and feet, pain shooting through my ankle. I took in a sharp gasp of air and screamed silently, biting my tongue so as to not make a sound, but the lights were suddenly thrown on, heavy footsteps making their way to the kitchen. I scrambled to get up, turning over and crawling under the counter on the other side just as Jack raced into the kitchen. "Adeline?" His voice broke the silence. A soft fluffy cat rubbed itself up against me and gave a loud purr, and it was then that I realized the cat had attacked my hand when I was on the counter. Feeling like an idiot I crawled to the other side of the counter, away from the cat and hopefully away from- I bumped into something hard and saw a pair of legs before me.

    Jack's legs to be exact. A very unhappy Jack to be perfectly clear. I slowly looked up, giving a sheepish grin when I met his stern gaze. He was scowling down at me, features all twisted into stern disapproval, his arms crossed. Jack reached down and grabbed my forearm, grip tight and strong as he pulled me up. I whimpered slightly as I stood on my ankle and he grabbed under my legs, picking me up bridal style, taking me off guard and causing me to wrap my arms around his neck in fear of falling down. "I'm sorry Jack!" I pleaded but it fell on deaf ears as he ignored it entirely.

    He began walking to the hallway, down it and to the room he had put me in, closing the door behind him and setting me down to stand in front of the bed. He then sat down on the bed and gripped both of my arms tightly, forcing me to look him in the eyes, his intense stare unbelievably intimidating. "What were you thinking, sneaking around my house at night when I told you to stay put?" I opened my mouth to answer but found I couldn't muster up a good reason. "What was that loud noise I heard? Did you hurt yourself?" Again I couldn't answer. I stared at him blankly like a deer caught in headlights. "Answer me, Adeline." His voice was stern and strong, not quite cold but very demanding, still. "You are going to tell me exactly what happened or I swear to God I will put you over my knee right now."

    That really caught me off guard and the stress of the day all caught up to me at once, rushing to my head in one big wave and tears began forming in my eyes. "I'm sorry!" I tried to gather my thoughts, to make it make some kind of sense in my head but it was all such a mess. "I was scared, and your cat attacked my hand, and I jumped, and I couldn't find my phone, and I didn't want you to be mad, and-"

    Jack pulled me in then, wrapping his arms around me. I hadn't meant to cry but I felt a lump in my throat and it made it very hard to talk and he was hugging me, and I just couldn't understand why this man, this really weird man, would care. Did he care, or was he trying to get something out of me? "Tell me why you were down below the docks." Jack pulled me away now, forcing me to stand in between his legs and look him in the eyes.

    I wiped at my eyes and looked down, clearing my throat. "I always sit with the sea lions. They're my friends... I go to them when I'm sad."

    "What were you sad about? What would make you sit in the pouring rain with a bunch of dangerous animals?"

    I stamped my foot at that and winced when I realized it was the foot with the bad ankle. "They're not dangerous animals!" Jack raised his eyebrow at my reaction but said nothing of it. "They're really not. Humans are far more dangerous then sea lions. Sea lions just want to take naps and be cranky." He did smile at that, though, which lightened the mood a bit.

    "You didn't answer my question. What were you sad about?"

    I looked at him with defiance. He didn't need to know that, that was none of his business! "Why do you care why I was down there?"

    "I could report you for being down there, it's illegal and for this reason exactly," he pointed to my head, which felt a bit better now but still hurt none the less. "But I won't, if you tell me why you were down there in the first place."

    I huffed and looked away, unintentionally pouting. I tried to tug away but he held me firmly in place. "I was down there, because... I had a rough day and didn't want to deal with Kris." I tried to move away again but he still wouldn't let me go.

    "I know there's more to the story then that. You can tell me, Adeline, there's no need to hide what happened. I want to know."

    I took a deep breath and gave a heavy sigh, deciding I might as well tell him what he wanted to hear or I'd never get out of here. "Ok. I had to go to a funeral and I'm not on very good terms with the rest of the family so it was pretty awful and I was really close with the person that died so it was just a real shitty day in general and-"

    "Language," Jack snapped quickly.

    "What?"

    "Language. Watch your language."

    "...Ok. Anyways, yeah, funeral, Kris trying to make it better but he just made it worse, and I didn't want to deal with everybody's shi-uhm, I didn't want to deal with people, so I went down to the docks. I go down there all the time, like since I was a little kid, so it's no big deal."

    "If you have been going down there for so long you would have known better then to have gone down with big boots on. Those are your work boots and you should only be wearing those for work, otherwise you slip and sprain your ankle just like today."

    "I have been going down there forever and this hasn't happened before, ok! It was just shitty luck!"

    "Addie, language, really."

    "Oh, shove it!"

    "Adeli-"

    "No, you don't get it! Nobody gives a fuck, and I'm sick of everybody's fucking shit all time, pretending to care and then just leaving me in the dust! The only person who cared about me in this whole fucking world is dead now, so you can just fucking shove it you bastard!" I had tears streaming down my face now, my sudden outburst even shocking me. Anger immediately took over his face and I ripped out of his grasp, running for the door and swinging it open, running out into the hallway. My ankle was screaming at me but I kept going, trying to make a sharp turn for the living room but failing miserably, wearing soft socks that made me slip on the wooden floor, slamming down into it hard. Jack stormed out from the room and headed towards me, his pace frighteningly quick and silent. I scrambled to get up, unable to with my ankle being the way it was when in one swift motion Jack scooped me up from the floor and I was being carried under his arm like a sack of potatoes.

    This was it. He was going to slap me or punch me and then throw me out in the cold night rain for the wolves to feed on, I knew it. But instead of heading for the door he went straight for the room, not to the bed even but to the comfy chair. He set me down for a moment, a strong grip still on my arm, put one leg on the chair and then he picked me up, placing me over his knee, propped up in the air by the chair and his leg. Then I realized what he was doing, what this position meant. I was over his knee as he had put it. A loud smack grabbed my attention and I gasped in shock. Was he seriously- another slap landed even harder then the first and then another, and another, until he had a rhythmic pace going. Each smack was so hard it pushed me forward, so much force between each one that I could barely catch my breath in between slaps.

    I let out a strangled gasp of pain and reached behind me to block his hand but he grabbed mine and pinned them behind my back, forcing my upper body down without the support of my arms. The blood rushed to my head and my mind raced a million miles a second, trying desperately to calculate how to get out of this situation. My boss- no, my boss' boss was spanking me, like I was some small petulant child! I didn't dare to say anything, I wouldn't know what to say in the first place. I kicked my legs out, trying desperately to get him to stop but it didn't work. He stopped for a moment and lifted the big t shirt up, placing it on my back and then grabbed onto the leggings, pulling them down quickly to mid thigh. "No, Jack please!" I pleaded but he didn't seem to hear it as he then resumed smacking my backside with a stronger force behind each blow then before.

    I had been afraid he was going to do something when he took my leggings down but I realized he had just wanted less in the way of my skin and his hand. I don't know why I kept thinking he was a bad person, that I should be afraid of every move he makes, because he had only shown me kindness the entire night and all I had done was walk all over it.

    Maybe I did deserve this. But it hurt none the less, and a fire was beginning to grow on my backside. It was becoming unbearable and I kept biting my cheek and my tongue to keep from crying out like a small child being chastised. Such a humiliating position to be in, hoisted over his knee like something so small. Jack hit my thighs now and a surprised yelp escaped my lips. "I asked you a question, Adeline."

    "I didn't hear you!" It was impossible to think with him smacking me like this, I hadn't even acknowledged that he had said anything. "What did you say?"

    Jack stopped for a moment and pushed me forward a bit more, then raised his hand high and landed it with a sharp smack that rang through the empty night. He was hitting my sit spots now and it hurt so much worse then what he was doing before. I struggled harder and managed to get one hand free, using it to beat his leg with my closed fist. "Stop that right now," Jack's voice wasn't angry but rather like he was talking to a small child and it infuriated me. I landed an especially hard punch and he grabbed my hand, pulling it back and securing it with my other hand. "Now, I'll ask you again. Are you listening Adeline?" He began spanking again, relentless even as he spoke.

    "Yes, yes I'm listening!" I shouted in pain.

    "Why are you getting this punishment?"

    Why am I getting this punishment? How the hell would I know that, why would I know why he had decided to do this? Why the hell was he doing this?? I grunted in frustration and tried to struggle again but it did nothing. He kept smacking and I kept trying my best not to cry out.

    "Are you going to give me an answer?"

    "You'll be mad at me!"

    "Tell me your answer. If you don't know just say so."

    I couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Would he really not be mad if I didn't know? Anything other than silence was better so I answered him honestly. "I don't know, sir." I hadn't meant to call him sir, I don't know how that slipped out, or why, but my face went instantly red and I hoped he hadn't heard that last part.

    "There's no need to call me sir, Adeline." He stopped then and let my hands go, lowering me down from his knee onto the bed, placing me on the end of it. Was that it then? It was over? I sighed in relief, that had been dreadful. Jack brushed off the seat of the comfy white chair and sat down, situating himself and then stretching a hand out to me. "Alright Adeline, come here."

    I squinted my eyes at him suspiciously. "Why..."

    "I'm not done with you yet." I gaped at him in shock. That wasn't it?! "If I have to come get you it will be worse, I guarantee you."

    "Can't I just have a second?"

    "No, now come here."

    I almost wanted to cry in frustration. The stupid leggings were still down by my thighs and my heart was still racing. I got up off the edge of the bed and pulled up the leggings so I was actually wearing them. "Tell me why first."

    "You're only making this worse for yourself, Adeline. We've hardly even begun."

    "No, tell me why first!"

    Jack sighed and looked me directly in the eyes with that intense stare he has. "I will tell you when you're over my knee."

    I blushed a deep red at that. "You want me to lay down over your lap like a petulant child? It's so undignified!"

    "So is your behavior. You've been acting like a child so that's how I'll treat you."

    I stamped my foot, forgetting again that it was the one with the bad ankle and tears sprang into my eyes, a small whimper escaping with it. I lowered myself down to the floor, back against the bed, grasping my ankle in pain. "Fuck you," was my whispered response to him.

    "I'm sure you said what I think you said but considering your ankle I'll let it slide. Now, when your ankle stops hurting I want you to stand up and lay yourself across my knee. Do you understand, Adeline?"

    I glared at him and lifted myself up, careful not to put any pressure on my ankle. "No, you don't have any right to treat me like this, you're a stupid asshole! I'd rather go swim with the sea lions!"

    "Adeline, that is incredibly dangerous, not to mention the fact that great whites have been spotted at the mouth of the river. Swimming is prohibited now and you know that."

    "I don't give a fuck, I'd rather be with the sea lions in the belly of a shark then be here right now, so fuck off!" I spun around and hobbled to the door, determined not to take this from him.

    He wasn't even moving to get up, I must be more slow and pathetic then I realized. "Adeline, get back here. You're not going anywhere with that ankle." I kept walking, opening the door to leave, completely ignoring his warnings. "If I have to come and get you this is going to be a lot worse for you." He wouldn't come get me, would he? Once I left he'd forget me like everyone else did. So I left, I walked out the door. But what I didn't expect was for him to actually come and get me. He grabbed me quickly and lifted me up like I weighed nothing to him, carrying me under his arm again back into the room, closing the door this time. He didn't say anything as he walked back to the chair.

Strangely enough, for some odd reason I can't explain, this made me really happy. Very weirdly happy, that he came and got me. It didn't make sense to me, considering I really didn't want this to happen, but at the same time I felt... secure? Safe?..... Cared about? Whatever it was, I felt it. Along with panic. That was also a feeling rushing through my head as he lowered me across his lap, secured my hands behind my back and lifted up the t shirt. What sent me into a real fit was when he lowered not only the leggings but my panties too. I begged him to let me have my underwear on but he only responded with, "You should have listened."

    He then raised his hand up high and brought it down with a resounding SMACK! Oh my god it hurt so much worse without the protection of clothing. I yelped at the first one but managed to stay quiet for the rest, burying myself in thought to distract myself.

    It seemed to go on forever before he finally asked the question again. "Why am I punishing you Adeline?"

    "I don't know." My honest answer.

    "Whether you believe it or not you are cared about in this world. It may not feel like it all the time, but you shouldn't assume you're alone Addie. I do care about you and your well being."

    "But why? Why would you care about someone like me?"

    "Does there have to be a reason? Even as just one human to another, what you do is obviously self destructive and dangerous. Anybody would care about someone trying to hurt themselves. Which is why we're here. I'm aware that you've been trying to hurt yourself. Going out of your way to do anything dangerous you can possibly manage. It's not safe, for your mental health or for you physically. That's going to stop right now though, do you understand?"

    I didn't answer him, instead biting my lip hard to keep from crying out. I knew that if I opened my mouth the only sound I'd make would be one of pain and humiliation and I really didn't want to seem any more of a baby then I already did at the moment, laying across a full grown man's lap, being chastised like a child. But he wouldn't have any of that and when I didn't answer he gave a quick slap to my sit spot, forcing my upper body to lift as I whimpered. He slapped there again and continued until I opened my mouth, a broken scream escaping. "OK! Ok, yes I understand!" I sniffled and swallowed the lump in my throat.

    "Good." He resumed slapping my backside in a rhythm, never stopping even as he spoke to me. "You're not going down below the docks anymore. If I catch you down there again I won't hesitate to put you over my knee. And there won't be any more midnight walks down the bad parts of town, no more working on dangerous dogs at work, and no more going to the waterfall and diving. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

    My mind went blank suddenly at this realization. How did he know about my midnight walks, or the waterfall? The dogs I could see how he would find that out, I mean I'm a dog groomer and he can see the cameras from the office. But everything else? That didn't make sense. "H-how do you know about that? Are you... following me?"

    He stopped then and I sighed in relief, wanting so badly to reach back and rub my raw backside but he still held my hands captive. It embarrassed me to think that he was looking at my arse, naked and vulnerable before him. A shutter went down my spine and I craned my neck to look up at him. "There's a lot you don't know right now and it'd be best if it stayed that way. I want you to know one thing for sure though. I do care about you, enough to make sure you're staying out of trouble and if that means putting you over my knee every day then I will. How's your head?" He reached out and touched my forehead gingerly and I flinched as the sting spread across bruised skin there. There was no doubt it had been bleeding before but it had somewhat healed up enough to stop for now.

"It's fine," I lied. It hurt quite a bit right now but I wasn't going to let him know that.

He pushed me down then and readjusted me on his lap, letting go of my arms. "I hope someday you'll find you can trust me." He then brought his hand down square on my backside and I cried out, completely caught off guard. He resumed the spanking and I whimpered, wishing I could be anywhere but here. I tried squirming but it did nothing to stop the blows raining down on my poor backside. He had such a strong grip on my waist that I was completely pinned with no way of escaping. I kicked my legs, bucking like a cornered animal, when he grabbed my legs, pushing them down and locking them under his own leg. Now I was laying over just his knee and I soon realized this was so much worse then his lap. Laying over just one knee was so much more belittling, it made me feel so small.

Despite my efforts he continued slapping, and if anything the slaps were much harder now. "Please!" I shouted without realizing. I put a hand over my mouth, a red blush creeping up over my face at the embarrassment of pleading to him. I wasn't some child unable to endure pain, I was a full grown adult, and one used to pain at that. But here I was, begging my boss' boss to stop.

"Adeline, tell me. Why are you being spanked?"

I blushed at the last word and tried to think about what he meant. Hadn't he told me earlier? About him caring or some nonsense? Why would he be asking now? "Because you care?"

"That's true, but that's not the answer I'm looking for."

"Cuz I hurt myself?"

"Almost. Tell me how you hurt yourself."

This man was infuriating. He just wouldn't drop anything, he had to drag it out. "I fell."

"Adeline, you know what I mean. Tell me what happened."

"I already told you what happened!"

"Do I need to use a paddle to get this out of you?"

My blush darkened and I could feel it travel to the tips of my ears. I stared down at the carpeted floor beneath me and placed my hands there to support myself. The blood stopped rushing to my head and I felt relieved immediately as I pushed myself up, leveling my body. My voice was almost a whisper. "No."

"Then I suggest you tell me."

I took a deep breath and tried to think despite the horrible pain in my backside. "I ran off and sat with the sea lions and I shouldn't have tried to climb up the rocks with my work boots on but I did so I slipped and hit my head and sprang my ankle." The words came out in one quick slur but it was hard enough trying not to cry or yell let alone think straight.

"Good. You got hurt because you were careless, yes?"

"Yes! Can you please give me a second!"

"No, Addie, you know you deserve this spanking. You don't have to hold it all in, crying is a very healthy way of dealing with pain and guilt."

I groaned and tried to kick and struggle but he gripped tighter and his hand came down harder. My legs were useless trapped under his and I didn't want to risk getting my hands held behind my back again. It hurt so much I just couldn't deal with it and I kept blinking away tears, wiping at my eyes and trying to muffle the sounds of my sniveling. "Please, Jack!" I cried out, my voice breaking.

"Alright, tell me what you think you're being punished for."

I wanted to kick him but I couldn't as my position rendered me useless. "I hurt myself, I was careless... I-I don't know! I scared your cat?"

He gave a small chuckle at that. "No, that's not what I'm meaning. Do I need to tell you what you've done wrong?" He expected an answer from me but I couldn't manage one. It was so humiliating having to plead and ask for help, say yes and no like I needed his permission. "I need an answer Adeline."

"Yes."

"There you go." He stopped for a moment and I turned to look up at him. "You were careless, you intentionally hurt yourself," he was counting these on his fingers, making sure I saw how many offenses I had. "You cursed quite a bit despite my telling you to watch your language, you were snooping around my house which is really just quite rude. You didn't listen and come to me when I called you over, and I had to pick you up and carry you back over here to continue your punishment more then once. I'd say that warrants a rather harsh punishment, don't you?"

"No!" I pushed myself up, standing in between his legs, trapped but defiant against this ridiculous man and his ridiculous ideas. I struggled to get away but he had a firm grasp on my legs and arm and refused to let me escape.

Jack lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder. "I think it might be time we used a more severe method," his voice was gruff as he walked across the room, throwing open the door and making his way down the hallway. He flipped on the light and headed for the kitchen as I tried to cover my backside with my hands, begging him to put me down. I heard him open a drawer in the kitchen and then shut it. He seemed pissed to say the least, and he moved to the living room, sitting down on the couch and pulling me down over his knee, though this time I was in a very odd position, practically straddling his knee. Each leg was on either side, my upper body behind him, making it impossible for me to reach back. This had to be the most humiliating position I'd ever been in.

 _THWACK!_ I screamed as pain erupted across my backside. THWACK! It hit again and I cried out, grabbing Jack's shirt in my fist. It hit again and once more I cried out, unable to keep quiet with the intensity of pain he inflicted. He brought it down again and I struggled to look behind me, getting a glimpse of what looked like a wooden spoon. Jack was using a wooden spoon on me. He brought it down over and over again on my naked backside and I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't hold the tears back as they ran down my face but I muffled my cries with the couch cushion. I couldn't let him hear me cry, I just couldn't bare it.

He continued to rain down blows with the spoon and my cries soon turned into sobs. Pathetic, awful sobs. I kicked and struggled to get away from the blows but it was useless. Now I suddenly wished I had just let him spank me earlier on the chair, it wouldn't have been as awful or as painful as this. "I'm sorry Jack!" He didn't respond and the only sound in the whole house was of the spoon making contact with my skin and my muffled sobs. "Jack, please! Please, I'm sorry!"

After a minute or so more of the spoon I collapsed and sobbed into the couch, my fight gone as I accepted my inability to escape this fate.

I didn't even realize he had stopped hitting me with the spoon when I felt him pulling up my underwear and then the leggings so I wasn't on display anymore. I couldn't stop crying, the flood gates had opened and my shoulders shook with each sob as I took in shaky breaths. I felt his hand on my back, rubbing softly like he was trying to comfort me or something. He didn't move me though, just letting me lie there across his knee and sob into the couch, probably making a large wet spot on the cushion. "You're alright, Addie. Deep breaths." I didn't understand why he was doing this, why he would bother trying to comfort me after he had just very thoroughly beaten me.

But he kept rubbing my back and I'll admit it was very soothing. I wiped my eyes with hands and tried to compose myself somewhat, the tears finally having stopped. I sniffled and tried to take deep breaths, sighing as I calmed down. Jack moved his hands under my hips and turned me over, sitting me up and moving me so I was sitting on his lap.

"There, it's all over now. Dry your tears." He reached forward and grabbed a tissue from his coffee table, handing it to me. I wiped my eyes and blew my nose, placing it back on the coffee table when I was done. He looked me in the eyes and after a few moments pulled me into a hug, catching me off guard completely. It was so warm, so comforting, that I gave in and wrapped my arms around him too.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's done with, you're completely forgiven. It's in the past now, ok?" Jack stood up and pulled me up with him, picking me up bridal style the way he had before.

"Put me down, I can walk!"

"Not on that ankle you're not." He carried me back to the room and put me on the bed, pulling the blankets up around me like he had before. "Now you're going to get some rest. If I catch you out of bed again I promise you I will use that spoon again. Do you understand?"

I must have looked like a deer caught in headlights because his features softened and he gave a small smile.

"I know there's a lot you don't understand and you must feel really confused right now but I want you to know this, Addie. I'm someone you can trust and I care about you a lot. In time I'll tell you more but for now it's best that you stay in the dark about certain things. For your own good. Ok?"

"Ok... Can I get up to pee if I have to?"

"Call me over first and I can help you to the bathroom." I gave an unhappy look and he sighed. "If you don't put any pressure on your ankle then yes. Be careful. Which reminds me. I kept meaning to do this but you kept me a little preoccupied at the time." He got up and left but when he returned a few minutes later he had bandages and a first aid kit with him. He wrapped my ankle and cleaned the wound on my head, putting a gauze pad on it so it could heal without getting infected.

"Thank you..."

Jack looked down at me and seemed to be thinking about something before he pulled my cellphone out from his pocket. "Go to sleep. You can answer your texts in the morning, alright? I want you to get some rest." He handed it to me and left for the door, turning the light off and closing it behind him. I smiled to myself in the dark and pulled the cloud like comforter up to my face, snuggling into it. I rubbed at my backside, relieving some of the pain. I still couldn't believe what had just happened had in fact really happened but I closed my eyes and sighed softly. I felt..... Safe.


	2. Cats

I woke up early in the morning to sunlight pouring in softly from the window, casting warm shadows across the room. For a moment I jumped up in bed, momentarily confused as to where I was. It hit me after a few moments the memory of last night and I let out a sigh of relief. Then a wave of embarrassment hit me as I fully remembered the... "incident" from the night before. Jack had..... I blushed furiously and got out of the bed, standing up and walking quickly across the room, then back, pacing. I did this for a while when the sound of dishes clanging caught my attention. I rushed to the door and opened it a crack, peering out and looking down the hall. Jack was in the kitchen, his back to me, busily working away at something I couldn't see.

I gently shut the door and walked back across the room, looking over at the full mirror against the wall. My hair was disheveled and the little makeup I had put on the day before had long since smeared and faded eaway. I had bags under my eyes and there was no doubt I had been sleep deprived a very long time, more then was healthy for an average person. But I couldn't help it, I'd been an insomniac since I could remember. After all that shit with my mom, well... I turned around and lifted up the shirt, lowering the leggings enough to check the damage on my poor backside. Even now it was still red, a few bruises here and there in the shape of a spoon. I blushed again remembering just how embarrassing everything was. Me, a mostly pretty much full grown adult had been thrown across another full grown person's lap and spanked mercilessly like a naughty child. I shivered just thinking about it.

I pulled the leggings back up, combed my hair the best I could with my hands and wiped away at my eyes. The smeared makeup wouldn't come off so I went back to the door and opened it, peering out again to see Jack still working away at something intently in the kitchen. I took the opportunity to dart across the hall to what looked like the bathroom. The door was open so I snuck in quickly and quietly shut the door behind me. I suddenly realized I had too pee badly and relieved myself, washing my hands afterwards and using a washcloth to wipe away the smeared makeup remaining on my face. I splashed my face with some water and immediately felt more awake. A knock came at the door and I froze, knowing it could only be Jack. "Adeline? Come to the kitchen when you're done."

I dried my hands and thought for a bit on this. What could he possibly want with me in the kitchen? Maybe I had broken something last night and didn't realize it and he wants to show me so he can scold me for it. Or maybe he wants to introduce me to his cat. Whatever the reason, he already knows I'm awake and in here, so there's no escape for me now. I opened the door and made my way down the hall, fidgeting with my hands as I kept my eyes downcast. I stopped just before the counter and darted my eyes up to him.

"Good morning, Adeline." He gave a warming smile and I swear even his eyes smile when does. It's somehow incredibly comforting and also super weird to see this man smile. "Go take a seat in the dining room, I have something for you." Nodding my head I turned on my heels and made my way to the dining room, taking a seat in one of the chairs. When I sat down I noticed there was a soft cushion on the seat of the chair and wondered if he had put it there intentionally. There was a small silver dish in the seat across from mine and as I was wondering why it was there and what it was for, my questions were answered. A fat orange cat jumped up into the chair opposite mine and began lapping up the wet cat food within the dish.

My eyes narrowed at the cat. "You," I said resentfully. That was the cat from last night, the one that scared the crap out of me and made me fall off the counter. Jack came in then and put a plate down in front of me stacked with pancakes and eggs and even some sausage. Then he put a glass of something in front of it and I looked up, shocked. "What's this?"

"Breakfast. Eat, you need it." He left and came back with a similar plate and glass for himself and sat at the head of the table. He took a bite and motioned with his fork for me to take a bite as well. I hesitantly lifted the fork next to my plate and stabbed a pile of eggs with it, lifting it up to examine it. I smelled it and it smelled fine but I still didn't trust it. Jack noticed my hesitation and gave me a look, his head tilting to the side a bit. "Adeline, is there something wrong?"

"I, uhm, I'm just not hungry I guess." I knew he didn't believe me, I didn't believe myself either. My stomach certainly didn't because it betrayed me with a loud grumble.

Jack set his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "I guarantee you there's nothing wrong with any of it. Everything is fresh. Just try a bite."

"I don't want any."

"Adeline." There was a low warning in his voice, I could tell, and it made me shutter. "Do you not like pancakes?"

"No, I like pancakes, it's just-"

"Eggs?"

"Yeah..."

"And sausage?"

I sighed and threw my fork down. "I don't trust it!"

Jack was silent for a few moments before he tapped his fingers on the wooden dining table, as if he were debating something. "What don't you trust, Adeline?"

"It's stupid, it won't make sense, it's just-"

"What don't you trust?"

I sat back in my chair and sighed. "I didn't see you make it. I don't know if you put anything in it."

"If I put anything in it? Adeline, are you afraid that I drugged your breakfast?"

I lowered my head, knowing it was a ridiculous thing to admit too but it's the way I am. I can't eat something without either making it myself or watching the other person make it, otherwise how can I be certain it's not poisoned, or drugged with something? I nodded my head shamefully, not daring to look up at him. I didn't want to see his reaction.

"I promise you I didn't do anything to it, at all. Just try a bite."

I shook my head no.

Jack sighed and went silent again, his fingers tapping once again on the wooden dining table. He then reached over and switched our plates, taking mine and giving me his. "I've already eaten some of mine so I can guarantee you I've done nothing to it."

Although I still felt a bit uneasy about it, I knew it logically made sense so I picked up my fork once more and stabbed the sausage, raising it up to examine it and smell it. It smelled fine so I took a bite and the flavour burst in my mouth, instantly making my mouth water. It was then that I realized I hadn't eaten in a long time and I dug in, grateful for the delicious breakfast he had prepared. Jack smiled, proud of himself for solving the problem and getting me to eat and continued eating breakfast himself. When I felt thirsty I picked up the glass and smelled that too. Without saying anything Jack reached over and switched our glasses so I took a sip and realized it was apple juice, my all time favourite breakfast drink.

"Apple juice. I love apple juice." I smiled and drank the whole glass, still hungry even though I had eaten half of my breakfast already.

"That's Simon by the way. My cat." He pointed to the fat orange cat across from me and I said good morning to it though it didn't acknowledge me.

We ate in silence after that and when I had finished my plate Jack stood up and cleared the dishes, directing me to go sit in the living room. I could tell it was still early morning by the way the fog rolled around the windows outside, frost still painting the glass and a bit of darkness still fading from the sky. I sat down in a plush blue chair with tall arms and pulled my feet in under me. It wasn't until my foot was under me that I was really reminded of my ankle injury. It was sore, of course, but I hadn't even noticed it walking around until now. I guess I was just so used to pain that it didn't even register in my mind anymore.

Soon Jack came into the living room and knelt down in front of me, taking my ankle and examining it. "How does it feel?"

"It's fine, I don't think it's sprained," I lied. He shot me a look and pressed his thumb against it in a weird way and I yelped.

"If it isn't sprained that wouldn't hurt." He stood up and walked over to the bookcase on the far wall. "Don't lie to me, Adeline." He looked through the books there, his finger running across the binding of each one as though he were deciding which one to grab. He came back with a rubix cube and a book and set both down on the arm of the chair I was sitting in. "It will take a while before your clothes are done in the dryer." I picked up the book and flipped it to it's side to see the title.

"Special Topics In Calamity Physics!? I love this book!" I unintentionally gave a huge grin as I became giddy with excitement. It had been a few years since I read it but I used to be all about this amazing book and I began berating him with questions, asking him what he thought about Blue, and if he had read the whole thing, and if he had, what his favourite part was, and what he thought about Hannah. He seemed happy as he sat down on the couch, content in chatting with me about the book. Time seemed to slip by instantly when he got up to check on the laundry. He came back with the clothes I had on the day before, once soaked and probably bloody, were now clean and dry, warm even. I took the clothes and changed in the bathroom, grateful to get out of the thin leggings and t shirt, as they made me feel like I wasn't even wearing anything.

When I came back Jack had a coat on and his car keys in one hand. "Come on Adeline, I'll take you home. Your grandmother is probably worried sick about you. And you're not coming in to work today, I've already worked the schedule out. You don't work for the next three days. Understood?"

I sighed and crossed my arms but I knew there was no arguing with this man so I nodded my head yes. I saw my work boots by the front door and slipped them on, following him outside and to his car. His really cool, nice car. It was black and slim, only fitting two people, but obviously expensive none the less. I got in the passenger seat and he started it up, rolling out of the driveway and gaining speed as he drove down the street. He turned on the radio and surprisingly it was on the classical music station. He seemed to enjoy listening to it which was odd to me because this was my favourite station but nobody else ever enjoyed it like I did.

When we arrived at my grandmother's retirement home he turned to look at me. "I'll get your truck back to you before you have to work next. I don't want you driving around until then, ok?"

"Ok."

"Good. Now go inside and get some rest."

I went for the handle to the door but stopped when I thought of something. "How did you know I live with my grandmother?" I never told anyone that, ever. Even Kris didn't know I lived with my grandmother and he was my boyfriend.

"You've talked about it before."

"No, I haven't. How did you know that?"

"It's an obvious conclusion. I know your address is the address for a retirement home and you're obviously not old enough to live here."

"How did you know it wasn't my grandfather?"

"Go inside, Adeline."

"No, how did you know?"

He seemed almost exasperated by the questions and ran his hand through his hair. "I can't tell you that."

"Why do you know things about me? I didn't put it on my resume."

"I told you, Adeline. There are things you don't know but it's best you just stay in the dark about it for now. Now go inside."

"No, not until you tell me."

"Adeline, I am not going to tell you again. Go. Inside. Now." I didn't move and he sighed heavily. "If you don't go inside and get some rest I swear to god I will pull you over here right now and-"

He didn't need to threaten me twice, I was up and out of that car instantly. Like hell was that going to happen out here in the parking lot where snoopy old people like to watch and listen to everything happening like it's their business. Jack seemed content with my action so he rolled down the window and said goodbye before I turned and walked to the front entrance. He waited until I was inside before he left, which was weird. Nobody had ever waited for me to get inside before they left me somewhere.

When I got to my grandmother's apartment she was so happy to see me she started crying. I told her I slipped on the docks, which was a lie, and also that I had stayed the night with Kris, which was also a lie. But I really didn't want to tell her about what had actually happened because for all I knew she might have agreed with Jack in reprimanding me for the rock climbing accident. She didn't know I went under the docks, which was why it was my safe place. No one knew about it. Well, until now. Jack knew about my safe place now, and now it was ruined. But I followed his orders in staying inside and resting, which wasn't hard considering my grandmother wouldn't let me walk around on my ankle at all. It wasn't until I had to work again that I got to leave the apartment.

I was so thankful to leave the apartment that I practically sprinted out the front lobby, saying quick goodbyes to the elderly people that frequently played chess and watched the fireplace. Just like Jack had said, my white truck was parked in it's usual place, ready for me to take to work. I happily jumped inside and started her up, smiling as I ran my hand along the dash. "I missed you," I told my car. Totally not weird at all. Everyone talks to their cars like they're people. Right? I drove to work that morning, picking up coffee on my way as a treat. I was so happy to be at work I didn't even care that my boss, Sandra, was especially annoying as always. I took the bandage on my head off earlier in the morning and tried to cover the mark with a bit of makeup but it was still fairly obvious and lots of my coworkers asked if I was ok.

Since I worked in a grooming salon, a lot of the customers just assumed I had been mauled by a "vicious" pit bull or something of the sort. Really, it would be far more likely to be mauled by a "precious" and "harmless" chihuahua that they're all so fond of, so I may have lied and said exactly that. It worked and as a bonus almost all of them tipped me too. It wasn't until Hattie, one of our most horrible dogs, came in that my day started going south. You see, Hattie is a sweet dog herself, but her owners, well, they make me want to climb the walls. Hattie is a great Pyrenees for god's sake (go ahead, look it up, I dare you) and a fat one at that. Her coat is so thick I could spend three hours brushing this dog out and she'd still have undercoat left. And because Hattie is severely overweight and old, mind you, she likes to just sit down whenever she feels like it, even if she happens to be on top of you and it means possibly breaking your whole leg. This dog is HEAVY and a huge pain to bathe too.

So when Hattie's owners came in and demanded we fit their dog in with no appointment and finish her in two hours, I went to Sandra, the grooming salon manager, to see what she thought. "Why wouldn't we be able too?" Sandra snapped at me. "Unlike the other groomers, you have time to do her."

"What? What is that suppose to mean?"

Sandra put her scissors down and looked at me. "It means that unlike you, my other groomers actually show up when they're suppose to work and don't take a bunch of days off just because they hurt their foot and can't handle it."

I swallowed and felt agitated at this. Like I wanted to stay home? Who did this bitch think she was, it wasn't like I had wanted to stay trapped in a tiny apartment with my grandmother and watch Dr. Oz all day with her for three days straight. "What you think I wanted to hurt my ankle? Don't be mad at me, I'm not the one who demanded I rest and stay home from work!"

"Oh really? Then who decided that for you?" I stopped then and felt nervous. I couldn't tell her that her boss was the one that made me stay home, that would just rise other questions that I didn't want to answer. When I didn't reply she smirked. "That's what I thought. So if you want to keep your numbers up then I suggest you take Hattie. Groomers don't keep their jobs with numbers like yours."

As I cursed Sandra in my head, mentally calling her a bitch and whatnot, I went back to the salon lobby and faked a smile, telling them I could take Hattie and put her on the books. I got started immediately with brushing, spending the next two hours juggling this old dog and the two other dogs I was working on. Then I finally got Hattie in the bath and wrestled with her for a good half an hour to get the shampoo on, brush her teeth, clean her ears, and finally express her anal glands (I know, it's disgusting, it's the part about this job I hate the most) but in my tired state I forgot that with Hattie you're not suppose to check her glands. You really, really, really aren't suppose too and if I had read the notes on her file I would have remembered that. But I didn't. I didn't read the files and I went to check her glands, and before I knew it I heard a loud bark and suddenly Hattie's jaw was around my arm and I was screaming in pain.

Her teeth dug into my arm easily and ripped through the skin, blood splattering everywhere. She snarled at me when suddenly something gripped her ear, pulling her head away and making her release my injured arm. I immediately cradled my arm with my other hand and felt a strong hand grip my bicep and pull me up, marching me out of the bathing area and through the salon to the store. The other groomers gaped at me and when I saw Sandra standing there too it suddenly dawned upon me that I had no idea who had saved me from the dog and who was leading me out of the salon. I turned my head enough to see exactly who I wished it wasn't... Jack. He led me quickly through the store and to the office, maneuvering in a way as to avoid as many customers and coworkers as possible.

When we got to the office he shut the door behind him, sitting me down on the chair next to the wall and going to his desk to get something from under it. He pulled out a first aid kit and rummaged through it, getting a bottle of saline flush and a towel and came over to me with it. He knelt down and held open his hand, waiting for me to extend my arm. When I gingerly released my arm he took it carefully and flushed it with the saline solution, getting any shampoo and conditioner out of the wound and used the towel to wrap it loosely. The door to the office opened and Sandra came in, a look of fake worry on her stupid face. "Everything ok? What happened?"

Jack looked over at Sandra and stood up, putting the saline bottle down on the desk. "One of your dogs bit her. She should be fine for now, I'm about to call the hospital."

"NO!" I shouted instantly and both of them turned to look at me. "I mean, it's really not that bad. It hardly even tingles."

"Sweetie that's bad. You should be able to feel the pain, numbness is a bad sign," Sandra said.

"Really? Because it seems pretty bad, Adeline. It's already bleeding through the towel." Jack motioned to my arm and I quickly adjusted the towel. I didn't know what to tell them. It didn't hurt but it did? It hurt but I enjoyed it in some form because the pain made me feel alive? "Ok, Sandra, I want you to start writing an incident report for her, I'm going to call the hospital."

I groaned inwardly but knew there was no way of getting out of this. Sandra moved to the computer and brought up the file for the incident report, asking me details about what happened. I relayed the entire story to her and even told her about how I had forgotten to read the notes on Hattie's file. She asked me why, saying that I never make mistakes like that and I reluctantly admitted to having had only about 7 hours of sleep in the past 3 days. I felt Jack's eyes shoot daggers to me suddenly and I shivered. This situation was getting worse and worse and I was only digging myself a deeper and deeper whole with every word I said. For once though, Sandra wasn't trying to agitate me or goat me on. She was being sympathetic and told me she would write in the report that it was an accident.

I was grateful for that but when Jack hung up and put his phone in his pocket, his eyes locked with mine and I felt a sort of flare in his eyes, one of anger and agitation and it made me want to disappear into the chair I was in. He motioned for me to stand up and when I was in reach he grabbed my bicep the way he had earlier and told Sandra to call in Dave, the assistant manager if anything happened when he was gone. "Come on Adeline, I'm taking you to the emergency room across the street. You probably need stitches." I grimaced at the idea and before we left he grabbed his coat and put it around me, successfully covering my bloodied arm from any customers that might ask questions as we walked through the store. I allowed him to walk me through the front and outside, but when we got to the doors of the emergency room I stopped.

"Please don't make me go in. My arm is fine, really!" Jack didn't even stop, he kept going and pulled me along with him, ignoring me entirely. When we got in he took me straight to the front desk and explained what happened, including every horrible detail I wish he hadn't heard. I ended up having to get five stitches, Jack by my side the whole time. Before they finally let me go, the doctor gave me a very serious look and lectured me about sleep deprivation and how eating is necessary no matter what. When Jack asked her what she meant the doctor explained to him that I was malnourished and no wonder why I hadn't been thinking straight, sleep deprived and underfed. She made him promise he'd make me eat something, and as he gave me an icy glare he promised the doctor he'd look after me.

When we got outside I took a deep breath, relieved to finally leave that horrible place. If there was one place I hated going the most, it was to the doctor. But when I started walking back to the store I felt Jack's hand grip the base of my neck and lead me the opposite direction. We stopped by his car and he unlocked the door for me to get in. When I gave him a questioning look he moved me to sit in the passenger seat. "You're done for today. I'm taking you home."

"I can still work," I argued. But it was no use, as he closed the door on me and got into the driver seat himself. "Jack please, I don't want my grandmother to freak out. Don't take me home."

He seemed to contemplate this for a while before his gaze met mine and I wanted to shrink down into the seat. "I'll give you a choice, then. I can either take you home and you can deal with your grandmother, or I can bring you to my house and you can deal with me." I hate this man, I swear to god. I wondered briefly how mad he was about all of this, though I knew for sure he certainly wasn't happy. "But whatever you decide, you're eating and that's final. When was the last time you ate?"

I fidgeted in my seat, playing with my cold hands in an attempt to stall. He for sure was going to be really mad. "Uhm, I think, maybe... Yesterday?"

Jack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What was the last meal you ate? Full meal, full stomach, and don't you dare lie to me."

I gulped and my hands twitched, wanting so desperately to just reach for the handle and run out of the car, to escape his angry gaze and not deal with this. But I sucked in a breath and looked up at him, managing to sound somewhat confident as I answered, "Breakfast..... At your house."

"Adeline! You haven't eaten since then?"

"I've eaten! Just, you know, smaller stuff. I've eaten, really!"

Jack looked really mad. "I expect a really good reason for you starving yourself. Because I can't think of a single reason why that is ok."

"I just, you know, I don't know! I just haven't."

"That's the reason you want to give me?"

I knew it was a shitty answer but even I didn't really know why. After the funeral, I guess... I guess I just hadn't felt like a real person. I wanted to curl up and disappear, and when I got lost deep in thought, well, I just forgot to eat, couldn't sleep, and the little things in life just didn't seem to matter anymore. But I didn't want Jack to know that, that I was probably depressed. I nodded my head yes and he gave another deep sigh.

"Then from now on, for every meal you skip, I am going to put you over my knee." I blushed furiously and curled up into myself a bit, looking down at the floor of the car. How could he say that, something so embarrassing? "I mean it. And when your arm has healed you are getting a-"

"Ok! Ok, I get it, I haven't been taking care of myself!" My outburst shocked him and he looked taken aback for a moment. "It's embarrassing, do you have to say that stuff out loud? I never agreed to this, what gives you the right to- to- reprimand me?" I used the least awkward word for it I could think of but it still made me squirm a bit when I thought about it. I crossed my arms, being careful not to touch my freshly stitched together forearm.

Jack actually looked lost for words but it didn't last long. "I assure you, I have every right. And when we get back you are eating something." He started up the car and turned the radio on. Apparently we were done talking about it, which made me furious. I wasn't content with the way it had ended but there was little I could do about it so we drove in silence, listening to the classical music station until we got to his house. He got out of the car and, not wanting him to drag me out, I got out and followed him inside. Once inside I took off the coat he had let me use, hanging it up on the wooden coat rack. He hung his keys up on a hook near the door and went straight to the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking through the food inside. "What are you hungry for, Adeline?"

"I want to go home."

Jack looked up at me and gave a scowl. "Well you're here now and until I've dealt with you, you are staying here. Obviously your grandmother doesn't realize you're hurting yourself and you need to be somewhere where you can be looked after."

"I can look after myself!"

Jack quickly walked over to me and grabbed my wrist, pulling my arm out to show me. "Obviously you can't!"

"So what! Why do you even give a fuck anyways!?" I immediately regretted shouting at him as he spun me around, landing three quick slaps to my backside as I squealed. He turned me back around and marched me over to the couch where he made me sit down. He left for the kitchen again and I pulled my knees up under chin. He'd never done that before and it had really startled me. I must be wearing his patience thin to make him react like that.

When Jack came back he was carrying a plate and set it down next to me. "Eat, Adeline." I didn't look up at him, instead focusing on the design of the floor. "Adeline," he warned. I looked over at the plate and saw a sandwich. It looked so good my mouth started to water, but I looked away and tried to focus on something else. "You are really testing my patience and you're in enough trouble already. If you don't eat you are just going to make it worse for yourself." I don't know why but tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and I felt a lump in my throat. I didn't want to be here right now. I felt so weak I couldn't walk without feeling dizzy and yet something kept me from indulging in the simple pleasure of food. I felt Jack pull me up off the couch and my heart lurched, knowing he was mad. But he pulled me into a hug instead and I felt his hand on my head. His touch was surprisingly soft and warm even, but his voice was strict and demanding. "I'm doing this for your own good, Adeline."

He led me out of the living room and when he began walking down the hall I knew what he was doing, what fate held for me at the end and I panicked. I tugged back, dragging my feet and trying to get away but he pulled me along, so much stronger then I was that it actually frightened me. His grip was like iron and I couldn't manage to get my arm out of his grasp no matter how much I pulled and fought. He opened the door to the bedroom I had slept in only days before and when he had me inside, closed the door.

"Please don't, please." I pleaded to him but he unzipped my grooming smock and threw the wet garment in the corner of the room. His hands moved to the zipper on my jeans and I tried to push him away, moving across the room to escape but he was on me in a moment and lifted me up by my waist, grabbing onto the loop of my belt buckle in the back and carrying me by my jeans. He carried me over to the chair and as he had before, placed me over one knee, elevating me and forcing me to balance on my stomach. "Why!? I'm not even hungry!" I tried to grab his thigh to support myself, straining to look back at him in defiance but he grabbed my hand and held it against my back. Immediately thrown off balance, I used my free hand to grab at the fabric of his pants to steady myself. His hand came crashing down on my backside and I cried out, completely unprepared. A second later his hand came down again, and then again in an unbelievable force.

He hadn't hit me this hard before and it was shocking. There would be no way I could withstand it at this level of pain for very long before breaking down, something I absolutely didn't plan on doing. I bit my lip to keep from yelling as he rained down smacks on my poor backside, trying desperately to hold on, but it seemed impossible with how hard he hit. It almost seemed like he was trying to get me to break as soon as possible. I balanced myself on his knee, trying to be stoic and act like it didn't affect me but inside I was practically screaming. Every other second his hand would come down and slap so hard I would lurch forward a bit but I bit down harder on my lip to keep silent. I was losing my balance on his knee and tried to grab his calve to steady myself but it was too difficult with one hand and I ended up straining my shoulders in an awkward way.

Noticing this, Jack let go of my hand and let me balance myself, adjusting me on his knee. I sighed as it gave my backside a small break but I wanted to rub the burn out and couldn't. It was frustrating to say the least. I felt his hand over my panties and when he grabbed the elastic of them to pull them down I reached back, grabbing my underwear and stopping him. "No!"

"Move your hands, you know you deserve this."

"No I don't! Stop it!" I kicked my legs a bit, trying to emphasize my point but he wasn't convinced. He grabbed my wrists with one hand and yanked my panties down, to which I whimpered in horror. "Noooo, please it's so embarrassing," I was practically whining the way my voice wavered on the last word but I wanted nothing more then to have the little bit of dignity left that my underwear provided. I tried to buck off his knee, kicking and struggling but getting nowhere. He had me pinned and I was so much smaller then him that the most I could do was annoy him. I didn't even throw him off balance, I was like a small kitten trying to bug a big sleeping dog and like the kitten, even my best efforts didn't make him budge. I huffed in rage and kicked my leg down so hard I hit his knee, causing him to flinch and give a soft grunting noise. He wasn't even spanking me, I was just enraged that he had pulled down my underwear.

"Adeline!" I froze when he shouted my name, his voice dangerously loud. "Are you done throwing a tantrum? You're just making it worse for yourself."

"I don't want it- I want my underwear on!" I tried to free my hands but even just one of his hands was stronger then both of mine and I couldn't get them free.

"Stop struggling right now or you're going to pop your stitches." I ignored his warning and kept trying to free my arms and when I couldn't, I kicked my legs back and forth again, frustrated and pinned. He slapped my backside so hard I gasped, my muscles tensing in pain. "If you don't stop struggling right now I am going to go get the spoon and use it on you and then continue your spanking with just the spoon. Do you understand? Stop struggling right now or you are going to pop your stitches." I stopped and grunted in defeat, lowering my head. "Good. If I let your arms go you can't reach back, ok?"

".....Ok," I agreed. He released my arms and I grabbed onto his leg for support, still super mad that he took my underwear down but at least I would have my arms to help me balance myself. He adjusted me again and pulled me in closer to his waist, this time getting a tight grip on me. Without warning he smacked my backside and I yelped in surprise, my legs coming up in reaction. It hurt so much worse without anything protecting me back there. He smacked me again and I sucked in a deep breath. When his hand hit a third time, I found myself wiggling a bit in an attempt to avoid it. He soon found a rhythm and was smacking me soundly in quick succession, one after the other, covering every part of my arse and leaving it red. I could feel myself becoming redder and redder as the heat built up, quickly becoming unbearable.

After about a minute of this he noticed my silence and pushed me forward even more, causing my arse to tip forward so my most sensitive parts were exposed. He slapped me right where my thighs met my butt and I screeched like a kicked puppy. When he spanked me there again I tried to push myself up but there was nothing to push off of, nothing to use as leverage so I instead grabbed onto Jack's leg, wrapping my arms around it and squeezing my eyes shut. He hit my sit spot and I felt tears starting to swell in my eyes, a lump in my throat beginning to form as all the blood rushed to my head. He kept hitting my sit spots and then moved to the tops of my thighs, hitting the same place a few times and then moving to another spot, repeating this process over and over in an endless cycle.

It hurt so much I just wanted it to be over and was unintentionally kicking my legs, when my foot shot straight up and I felt my work boot slip off, flying across the room and hitting the side of the bed. I raised my head to look at it and realized I had been kicking my legs rather violently, though I was at such an awkwardly elevated angle it was hard to have my legs anywhere but up. I bit down on my bottom lip, wishing for it to just be over but I knew he probably wouldn't be done for at least a few minutes longer. This infuriating man for some reason liked to stretch things out far longer then needed and it agitated me to no end.

Something caught my attention suddenly and I whipped my head towards the bed to see what it was. A meow came from under the bed and I realized it was Simon, Jack's fat orange cat. It dawned on me that this cat had watched the entire scene and I blushed a bit at realizing I had an audience. Even if it was just a cat, it was still mortifying to know that someone saw everything that had just happened, was still happening even. An especially hard swat landed and I cried out, my voice a mixture of restrained tears and held back anger. He hit me again with the same force and I felt my voice catch in my throat in a strangled, pathetic yelp. I bit down on my lip just as his hand landed on my tender sit spot again and the jolt made me break the skin on my lip, a startled and pained shriek escaping my now abused bottom lip.

I howled in pain as he continued and finally the tears brown through, the lump in my throat to strong to ignore and the pressure built up so much I had no choice but to release it. "Pleeeease, I'm so-rry," I begged. "I'll eat, please, please sto-op."

His hand stopped immediately and he pulled up my panties carefully, moving to my jeans next and tugging them up as much as he could. He rubbed a hand over my back soothingly as I cried over his knee, my face buried by my own arms and his leg. It was humiliating to have him see me cry but as much as I kept trying, I just couldn't stop. I couldn't keep the tears from flowing and once they had started they just kept coming. "Shh... Cry it out, Adeline. You learned your lesson. Are you going to eat when I tell you too now?"

"Yessir," I mumbled, my arms still locked firmly around his leg. Jack grabbed me by my sides and peeled me off, taking his leg off the seat and sitting down in its place. He pulled me in for a hug and I complied, wrapping my arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. He pulled me to sit on his knee so I wasn't awkwardly bent down and I did, despite the fact that given any normal instance I would have been horrified at the prospect of sitting on a man's lap. But for some reason, in a moment of weakness, it felt so good to have arms wrapped around me as I cried into Jack's shoulder.

"Adeline," Jack said softly. I would have answered but I could do nothing but cry, my eyes squeezed shut, shoulders shaking, face wet with tears. Then, as my cries turned to sniveling and soft whimpers, I began to feel exhausted. My muscles began relaxing and my eyes felt heavy, my whole body seeming to lose energy every moment that passed. Before I knew it I had drifted off to sleep, and for once in my life I felt completely safe, engulfed in the warmth of Jack's strong arms, feeling in that moment as though nothing bad could possibly happen because I was protected. I was safe and warm and happy and home.


End file.
